School ship Amerigo Vespucci the second and last US stop in the city of New York concluded a few days ago.
The Navy sailing ship has thus completed the adventure in the North American continent and is now preparing to return to the Mediterranean Sea. This 2017 was the eighth meeting between the "big apple" and the "most beautiful ship in the world", 17 years after the last one in 2000.
The crew and students of the 1st class of the Naval Academy of Livorno lived the stop in the port in midtown Manhattan as a unique experience; a stage characterized by numerous cultural and representative events that marked the five days of stay in the city.
After traveling the Hudson River, the Vespucci coasted towards the evocative skyline of Manhattan, leaving the Statue of Liberty on the left and sailing in an elegant artistic context that recalls the words of the song 'Theme from New York New York'. "I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps…", a clear reference to the dynamic and overwhelming reality of the 'big apple'.
There were also cultural and recreational activities that enriched Vespucci's stay in New York with initiatives such as a visit on board the "museum aircraft carrier" Intrepid of the American Navy, which operated in the Pacific Ocean during the Second World War, and the J 24 class sailing regatta organized by the Manhattan Yacht Club, which gave the 4 boats made up of students and crew members unique sensations in front of a panorama featuring the skyline of Manhattan and New Jersey.
Unforgettable days of rest, punctuated by activities as demanding as they are full of meaning. The placing of a wreath at the 11/XNUMX Memorial at Ground Zero, the visit to the headquarters of the United Nations Organization, and the meeting on board between Dr. Anthony Lake - Executive Officer of Unicef - and the ship's commander Vespucci, ship captain Angelo Patruno, are the most important events that emotionally involved the crew and students of the Naval Academy who took part in it and confirmed and strengthened the by now historical link between the United Nations Fund for Childhood and ship Vespucci, Unicef Goodwill Ambassador since 30 July 2007.
The conclusion of this eighth stop of the 2017 Education Campaign, which also marks the end of Vespucci's stay in the American Continent, represents the "turning point" of the Campaign and the beginning of the return route to the Mediterranean Sea. The Vespucci it will return to the "Mare Nostrum" after stopping at Ponta Delgada, in the Azores Islands, and at Cadiz, the Spanish Atlantic port.
For now the optical horizon of the students and the crew of the Vespucci is focused on the days of navigation and training needed to sail the Atlantic Ocean.
